1. Field:
The present disclosure relates generally to an improved computer system and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for accessing application services in a computer system. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for controlling access to applications versions for providing services in a computer system.
2. Background:
Information systems are used for many different purposes. For example, an information system may be used to process payroll to generate paychecks for employees in an organization. Additionally, an information system also may be used by a human resources department to maintain benefits and other records about employees. For example, a human resources department may manage health insurance, wellness plans, and other programs and organizations using an employee information system. As yet another example, an information system may be used to determine when to hire new employees, assign employees to projects, perform reviews for employees, and other suitable operations for the organization. As another example, a research department in the organization may use an information system to store and analyze information to research new products, perform reviews of employees, hire new employees, analyze products, or for other suitable operations.
Currently used information systems include databases. These databases store information about the organization. For example, these databases store information about employees, products, research, product analysis, business plans, and other information about the organization.
Organizations may use information systems to enable services that allow people to access information within these databases regarding the records, activities, information, and operations of the organization. These information systems can grant access to the information databases by authenticating the user.
Information about the employees may be searched and viewed to perform various operations within an organization. Searching information systems may return large amounts of information. However, organizations may not wish to provide access to all information within the database. Organizations often provide different services, each service providing access to different portions of the information.
Additionally, some portions of the information are not suitable for some users. The organization may wish to prevent dissemination of portions of the information based on Privacy concerns, geographical restrictions, and other relevant considerations. Thus, providing services that allow or prevent access to portions of the information within a database may be more cumbersome and time-consuming than desired.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues. For example, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that overcome a technical problem of having different obligated services that makes providing services to different people more cumbersome and time-consuming than desired.